Inutilis
"On rare occasions, workers of the Inutilis species may patrol our hunting reserves in the Eos Sector. This species is protected and engaging it in any way is strictly forbidden. All unauthorized human contact with the Inutilis will result in severe monetary penalties."- Mandibles Hunt Menu Inutilis is the final huntable animal on the Mandibles hunting tour. The Inutilis are sapient eusocial arthropods that thrive in the Eos Sector. The species is forbidden to be hunted and hunters will be penalized if they shoot an Inutilis, whether with live or tranquilizer rounds. Biology Inutilis are unique compared to nearly all creatures on FMM-UV 32 as they have a caste system. Although the planet of FMM-UV 32 has cases of sexual dimorphism has been recorded like Permophasma, the Inutilis are the first species to display polymorphism or different builds within the same species. Similar to Earth's termites, Inutilis are a eusocial species and they have a caste system. Each class has a different build but they all have shared traits. All Inutilis have six limbs, six eyes, antennae, and two mandibles. Inutilis' diet mainly consists of fungi as they drink the fluids of large fungi and eat smaller fungi species. The Caste System Like previously stated, the Inutilis have a caste system similar to the termites of Earth. The Nymph The nymphs are the smallest and lowest members of the Inutilis caste system. They are often found inside of an Inutilis hive and tunnels as the nymphs would be safe from predators. Nymphs are fed by the workers and typically found in the nursery gallery until it is time for them to morph into the next stage in their life cycle- the worker caste. The Worker The most common member of the Inutilis caste. Similar to the worker class in termite colonies, the Inutilis workers undertake the most labor within the colony, being responsible for foraging, food storage, and brood and nest maintenance. If an Inutilis worker feels threatened, they can roll up into a ball and move away at high speeds. They have been known to run over hunters with this tactic. Unlike ants and many other eusocial insects, in which all workers are female, worker Inutilis are of both sexes. Most workers remain in this stage for the rest of their lives, but according to the needs of the colony, some may choose to morph into either soldiers or spitters. The Soldier The main line of defense of the Inutilis hive. The soldiers are often found whether in the hive until predators or hostile forces come to close to the hive. The Inutilis soldiers are built for agility, speed, and close-quarters combat and will often swarm the enemy with a large number. Like the workers, soldiers can be of either sex. Most soldiers will remain in this stage for the rest of their lives, but according to the needs of the colony, some are allowed to morph into alates. The Spitter The Inutilis spitters are heavier-built soldiers as they share similar builds and traits. One of the most distinctive traits of the spitters besides their red markings is that their labrum are enlonged. This is due to the Inutilis spitters are capable of producing corrosive acids which they can shoot at attackers during combat. Like the workers, spitters can be of either sex. Most spitters will remain in this stage for the rest of their lives, but according to the needs of the colony, some are allowed to morph into alates. The Alate The alates serve as the air force of the Inutilis colonies, with the lighter-built males often undertaking aerial scouting and lightning-fast assault roles, and the heavier females functioning as air support or transport across natural obstacles. Additionally, the alates are essentially immature kings and queens; should either a king or queen die, one of the alates is elected to replace them. Alates may also depart from their home colonies to establish new ones, though this is a dangerous route, taken only by a few individuals. The Inutilis' strength comes from the collective, and lone individuals rarely survive in the wild. After the alates mate and rip their wings off, the male will morph into a King and the female will morph into a Queen The Queen The mother of an Inutilis colony and the highest female Inutilis caste member. The queen is found in depths of an Inutilis colony in the royal cell, surround by alates and soldiers. The swollen abdomen of the queen can produce as many as two eggs a day. The workers come into the chambers to move the eggs into the nursery to allow the queen to lay more eggs. She is the second largest Inutilis caste, as the King is the largest. The King The father of an Inutilis colony and the highest male Inutilis caste member. The king is found alongside the queen as he mates and protects the queen in the royal cell. The king is the last line of defense for the queen. Most creatures never challenge the king as his size, immense strength, and loyal dedication will take down any opponent. Society As previously stated, Inutilis have a king and queen that mate and lay eggs for the Inutilis hive. An Inutilis colony is similar to a termite colony as they have a fungus chamber or garden to store and grow fungi, nursery gallery for the nymphs, and a royal cell for the king and queen. Outside of the hive, there are fungi that are tended by the workers. Inutilis have formed an alliance with the Bernicia as the natural foul chemical keeps predators away and the Inutilis workers often feed the Bernicia in return for protection and allowing workers to move across waterways, a natural barrier for the flightless Inutilis castes otherwise. Trivia * The Inutilis is the first animal in Carnivores modding history to take away points from the hunters. Some players have criticized this as it's not allowing people to hunt, the staple gameplay of Carnivores. * Most Inutilis castes' designs were inspired by various sets from the LEGO toy line Bionicle. The workers are based on Bohrok, the soldiers and spitters on Vahki, the alates on Nui-Rama and the king and queen on the Bahrag. * The Inutilis Nymph is based on the enemy, Scorpion, from Chasm: The Rift, an Action Forms' game. Category:Mandibles Category:Animals Category:Invertebrates Category:Eos Sector